The Reunion
by Celestia831
Summary: They finally graduated college. An upcoming wedding celebration made their reunion possible. What could possibly go wrong that will make their reunion another crime-solving mystery?
1. Chapter 1: The Reunion

_Hi! I think it's been two years since I wrote my first fanfic ever. Due to my busy schedule, I've only written my second fanfic now. So, I guess I must repeat that I'm not really a writer. I do have grammatical errors especially since English is not my first language. I apologize for that. I do hope you enjoy this new story and don't forget to leave comments good or bad._

**Chapter 1: Our First Reunion**

High school ended with goodbyes as they finally walked their own separate destined paths. They barely had time to see each other due to their busy and conflicting schedules, but they always made sure that contact at least in social media was possible.

Archie Andrews barely made it to his college graduation due to his grades. It seems that he prioritized his local shelter project more than his own studies. Nevertheless, he made it and his mom is proud of that. He is now an Architect who is bound to inherit his father's construction business.

Veronica Lodge, on the other hand, graduated from a business course with high grades. Having businesses even before college, she sees herself as an expert in the field. Indeed, her experiences helped her get through college. The maple syrup rum business was considered a major success and is now being shipped to 39 different countries. Not only that, she is targeting to open other businesses soon such as a cosmetic store, fashion line, casinos and hotel. For some of her classmates, life is just beginning. For Veronica Lodge, life is moving smoothly halfway.

Betty Cooper graduated with honors in Journalism. She is now a writer in a famous newspaper brand called 'New Dale Times.' She would sometimes be sent to other cities or countries to write articles. It was a dream for Betty Cooper who wanted to see the world. With her talent and hard work, her bosses could already see her potential to rise the ranks.

Jughead Jones had finally won and owned the Baxter Brother series after graduating with a Literature course. Some say that the Baxter Brother series was never this interesting since the first batch of the franchise. The positive reviews helped the franchise to increase its popularity along with its selling power.

They were indeed successful in their own ways, and years have passed since they had their last mystery. However, it is only a matter of time before a mystery will finally come at their doorsteps.

…

"Are you ready for tonight, Tee-Tee?" Cheryl Blossom asked her lover Toni.

"Of course," Toni replied, "We'll be meeting the guests of our wedding in a few minutes in a small get together party we prepared. I'm actually excited for this."

Cheryl smiled and held her lover hands tightly, "Me too, Tony! I can't believe we're finally getting married."

The Blossom House was still located in Riverdale. It continues to produce the best maple syrup headed by Cheryl and Toni. After years of living together, the two had finally decided to tie the knot. Their civil wedding will be held 1 week from now and guests are expected to come in today for their little get-together before their wedding. Some call it their first high school reunion.

It wasn't long until guests arrived which includes Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead, Reggie, Kevin, and Mad Dog. As soon as they saw each other, excitement and happiness filled the air. They were laughing and busy telling each other stories of their lives for the past years.

"Veronica! Oh my gosh its been so long since I last saw you!" Betty said as she hugged Veronica, "How's New York?"

"You should come to New York, Betty. There's so much people and life there. It's always busy. But honestly, I prefer the peacefulness here in Riverdale," Veronica said.

"Maybe if they send me to New York I'll visit you," Betty smiled.

"Now that college is finished," Veronica replied, "I think we should see each other more often. I mean I still have businesses here in Riverdale. That's enough excuse for me to come here every now and then."

"Yes, that's wonderful, V!" Betty said as the two bestfriends hugged each other once more.

Beside the two ladies are their gentlemen catching up with each other. "Are you going to be an architect or are you going to focus on your local shelter?" Jughead asked his bestfriend.

"If I can be both, why not?" Archie said with a grin.

"They say catch a bird one at a time, but I think if you can catch both why not? Indeed, you have a point there," Jughead said.

"How about you?" Archie replied, "Heard Baxter Brother's doing well. In fact, I bought one." He took out his book from his bag and showed it to Jughead.

"Cool!" Jughead said as he took the book from Archie before asking, "Want me to sign this for you?"

Archie laughed at his friend's suggestion and said, "Go ahead. I'll be honored."

Jughead took a pen and wrote 'To my best pal Archie, it was nice seeing you again.' He handed back Archie the book and asked, "Based on the bookmark, you're already halfway huh? Guess you're in for a surprise soon."

"Don't spoil it!" Archie said as the two laughed.

"Ehem!" A voice through the speakers was heard. In front of them were Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz. Cheryl continued speaking, "I am so happy to have you all gathered here today. It is a wonderful day, in fact, to see all your faces once more. I see you all became more handsome or prettier, maybe because you're all step closer to your dreams now than during our high school days. Also, having you all here makes our important day extra special. One week from now, me and my lover Toni will tie the knot in a civil wedding. We've been longing for this day and we're happy to share this wonderful occasion to you all. So tonight, let's celebrate and have fun. Maple syrup rum is on us as well and will be served by our new maid Nancy later."

An applause was heard as everyone became more excited for the rest of the night. The fun and laughter continued as music once again started to play while people danced away.

"Toni!" Cheryl called out her girlfriend.

"What's wrong?" Toni asked.

"Have you seen our maid Nancy?"

"No, I haven't. Why? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is," Cheryl said, "She was supposed to serve the maple syrup rum already, but I can't see her."

"Well, have you checked the kitchen and storage room?"

"I did. No signs of her."

"Come, let's check her room," Toni suggested. The two went to their maid's room and knocked. There was no reply. They knocked again, but this time, louder. Again, there was no reply.

"Maybe she's not here," Toni suggested.

"Well, if she's not here, where is she then?" Cheryl asked, unconvinced by Toni's suggestion. "Let's break the door. Whether or not she's there, we might get a clue on her whereabouts."

"Okay," Toni agreed, "Let's ask the boys for help."

A loud sound was heard as four young men successfully opened the door with their weights.

"Finally!" Cheryl said with relief, "I can't thank you guys enough for helping- "

Cheryl was taken aback as all her friends looked shocked. She turned her head towards the room in front of her and saw their maid Nancy on the floor lifeless. Blood pooled around her head suggesting someone attacked her.

"Nancy?!" Cheryl said with disbelief. Archie and Reggie went inside the room to observe the dead body for any signs.

"She's really dead. I feel no pulse," Reggie confirmed.

Archie searched the body for any signs. He noticed a piece of paper inside the clenched hand of the corpse. He pulled it out as the others observed him, curious at what he found. He unfolded the paper and read it out loud, "Seven days till happiness. Seven days till sorrow. He who escapes shall be punished, for he is destined to play a game of life. Let this be a warning that this is not a joke."

"Hell! Who's trying to play with us a stupid game?!" Cheryl complained, "This was supposed to be a fun day for me and Toni!"

"I don't understand," Reggie said, "What does this mean?"

"I think seven days till happiness is Cheryl and Toni's wedding. The seven days till sorrow is like a deadline for us," Jughead explained.

"I think the 'He who escapes' means that we cannot escape from this game," Mad Dog also explained.

"Let this be a warning means the death of Nancy. It means he is not toying with us. The game is real for bloodshed is already involved," Toni further explained.

"Ok, this is crazy!" Kevin said as he was slowly panicking, "We need to find right away who's behind this and what's his motive."

"First, we should check if everyone else is alright," Archie suggested

"Well, we're all here except- ," Jughead stopped midway as he realized they were not complete inside the room right now, "Archie! Betty and Veronica's outside!"

"Shit!' Archie said as he also realized, "Mad Dog, Kevin and Reggie you stay here and take care of Cheryl and Toni. We'll -"

"AAAHH!" a scream was heard outside the house.

"Hurry!" Jughead said to Archie, "I think its Betty and Veronica who screamed." Both men rushed to get out of house leaving behind the rest inside the room.

Once they got out of the house, they both saw Betty and Veronica holding each other as if they were frightened by something.

"What happened?" Jughead asked as he approached the two ladies, partially relieved that they were both fine.

"Betty and I were just talking. I looked back and saw a man dressed in black from head to toe trying to approach us," Veronica explained, "I screamed then he just ran away."

"It isn't safe for us here anymore," Archie concluded, "We need to tell the others to go home."

"Ok," Jughead replied, "I'll call my dad and tell him what happened here as well."

While the others were talking, Betty approached the spot where Veronica said she saw the strange man. She looked around the spot, looking for signs of the intruder. She didn't note anything suspicious until she looked on the ground where she saw a piece of paper. She slowly picked it up. As she was about to read it, Jughead called her, "Hey Betty! It's not safe to go around alone."

"Jughead," Betty looked back at him, "There is a note."

By that time, the others were getting out of the house and followed Jughead to Betty. As they were approaching her, Betty said, "I think whoever he is was trying to approach us and wanted to place this letter somewhere near us. But Veronica saw him, so he dropped the letter instead and ran away."

"I see. What does it say?" Jughead asked.

Betty opened the note and read it out loud, "A grudge is not meant to be forgotten or forgiven. It is only meant for revenge. The game has started, and you are the players. By playing this game, I am slowly tormenting you till death. The only way to stop this is to know who I am. By knowing me, you can take action to find me and save your lives. However, I think it is highly unlikely that you will know me, for I watched your every move since then and known you well enough to know your limits and capacities. A clue guides you to another clue. If you can't solve it, you are bound to fail. A clue will be given to you soon."

As soon as Betty finished reading, they looked at each other baffled and frightened.

"We're going to get through the bottom of this," Archie said, "We need to find out who is behind this right away. In the meantime, lets do a buddy system. Don't go anywhere on your own. Make sure someone knows your whereabouts and call instantly if you feel danger lurking. We have 7 days to solve this game."

"That's right," Veronica said, "Cheryl and Toni are welcome to stay at my house for a while. I don't think it's safe here. In the meantime, the first clue is already there. Someone who has a grudge on us. I suggest we go back home and make a list of the possible suspects."

Jughead sighed and said, "Boy, that's going to be a long list."


	2. Chapter 2: The First Clue

_So I'm writing this while Season 4 is still ongoing. I don't know what will happen in Season 4, but if ever discrepancies happen, I apologize for that in advance._

**Chapter 2: The First Clue**

"Thank you so much, Veronica for letting us stay here," Toni said.

Veronica replied, "Don't worry about it. Just make yourselves comfortable."

She left as the two lovers got settled inside their new room, then she made her way to the kitchen to get some drink.

"It seems you're home again after many years," Hermosa greeted her in the dining room as she sipped her wine while busy reading a newspaper.

"It seems you're still here after many years," Veronica replied as she resumed her walk to the kitchen.

"You know I'm also your father's daughter," Hermosa told her as Veronica stopped midtrack.

Veronica asked her, "So? What are you trying to prove?"

"That I also have a right to stay here. Besides, I may be father's favorite daughter."

"Says who?" Veronica asked, disgusted by the thought of it.

"Based on how father acts," Hermosa said proudly.

Veronica let out a sarcastic laugh as she said, "You mean your imagination? I know father and I seem like we don't get along well. We just have this weird father-daughter bond, so I suggest you back off if you don't know anything about us."

"Then," Hermosa said as she stared at Veronica's eyes ready to threaten her, "Explain why in daddy's last will, all of his inheritance will go to only me after your mother."

"What?!" Veronica asked surprised, "Wait, you're kidding me. Why would daddy write a will in the first place? Yes, he's having a chronic disease but that doesn't mean he's dying anytime now."

"Don't know," Hermosa replied, "Maybe he thinks time is unpredictable and that he should be ready anytime. You know well that everything daddy has is because of his hard work, and he'll be able to leave peacefully knowing his hard works are in the hands of someone worthy."

"I'm going to talk to daddy about this. I'm sure there's some kind of mistake," Veronica said.

"Sure. I don't have anything to hide anyway. Visit him at the hospital, though I'm not sure if he's going to be happy to see you," Hermosa said with a smirk.

Veronica rolled her eyes and walked away to her room, completely forgetting her drink.

….

Betty woke up as the sun brightened up her room. She looked at the time and saw it was 10 minutes past 10 in the morning. "Damn! I was tired and slept late last night because of what happened," she told herself, "It's pretty rare of me to wake up this late." She slowly got up and took a shower. As she was busy combing her hair, her mother called her from the kitchen, "Betty! I made some brunch. Hurry up and come down. You don't want our guests to keep waiting."

"Guests?" Betty asked herself. She made her way to the kitchen, only to be greeted by Jughead and FP.

"Oh! Good you're here!" Alice said as she placed the eggs and bacons on the table.

"What's the occasion?" Betty asked.

"Well, nothing in particular," Alice replied, "I just think that we should celebrate that you're here in Riverdale after many years."

"Your mother is sweet," FP told her, "She missed you."

"Oh, thanks mom," Betty said, slightly embarrassed. "It must have been hard for you," she continued, "Dad's gone, Polly's away while I'm busy with work and college. You'll really get lonely."

"Who said I was lonely?" Alice asked her.

Betty, confused and taken aback by her mother's response, asked, "What do you mean?"

Alice smiled as she looked lovingly towards FP, "FP kept me company all this time." She went to FP's side as the two looked at each other, FP's hand hugged Alice's waist. "Its never too late for second chances," FP told Betty.

"Ok, stop!" Betty said as she felt awkward from their parents' sweetness, "Food is getting cold."

They laughed then began to eat their brunch. While in the middle of eating, FP brought up a topic, "I heard what happened last night. You guys better be careful. We don't know what the suspect is thinking."

"Right," Jughead said, "Especially since we don't know who's the culprit, so we don't know what we're dealing with."

"Anyone in mind?" FP asked.

"No one in particular, but many can be," Jughead said.

"How about we discuss them with everybody later tonight at Pops?" FP suggested.

"Yeah. I'll call them for tonight."

…..

"Thank you so much Mr. Bill for taking care of my local shelter while I'm away," Archie told his shelter caretaker.

Mr. Bill was a retired man in his late 60s. He had a wife who died due to an illness, and an only son who never contacted him since going abroad. He had been lonely and wanted to make the most of his remaining life, hence he came to Archie to lend a hand. He had been managing the shelter since Archie had been busy with his studies."

He told Archie, "No, Archie. I should be the one thanking you for giving me this opportunity."

Archie smiled back and asked, "What's the situation now, Mr. Bill?" Archie asked.

"Well, we have higher number of children since last year. We're currently on 41 children," Mr. Bill told him

"What's with the increase?"

"There have been fewer adoptions since last year. I'm already working with the local government to find possible foster parents. Some are stuck here due to their parents' abuse. They don't want to go home. The local government knows of these children and they're working on the cases."

"Ok. Let's just hope we don't increase in numbers again. Otherwise, I might find it hard to let them all fit here."

"Archie-kins!" a voice behind him called. He looked back and saw his girlfriend. They shared a kiss before Archie asked, "What brings you here?"

Veronica replied, "Well, we're going to meet soon at Pops so I'm wondering we can go together."

Archie smiled and said, "Yeah sure!"

The two left as they made their way towards Pops. They were walking along the street when Archie noticed Veronica's unusually quiet.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked. A moment of silence between the two before Veronica told Archie, "Well, daddy wrote his will."

"Why? Is he getting worse?"

"No. I don't know why he suddenly thought of writing them," Veronica said as she sighed. She then continued, "Don't get me wrong, Archie. I have my own money to sustain myself, so I don't really care about my dad's money. The thing is, he didn't include me in his last will and that hurts me. I mean, does he hate me that much? Am I not his daughter in his eyes? I just felt excluded."

Archie held Veronica's hand tighter, "Maybe he did that to provoke you."

"Provoke me to what? Beg on my knees for him?"

"I don't know. I think you just have to talk to him to clear things up," he suggested.

"Fine," she said, "I'll visit him tomorrow."

The two stepped inside Pops and directly went to the speakeasy. Veronica has closed the speakeasy for the day so that they could have a private conversation. Once the two entered, they found everyone else already there including FP.

"Ah! No wonder the two of you are late," Kevin teased.

"Sorry, we lost track of time," Archie said apologetically.

"Now that you're here," FP started, "We need to have a list of possible suspects. So far, our only clue is someone who has a grudge on you. I suggest saying names of people who were connected to you during high school as it seems that all of you are involved here. Your common denominator? You are all friends from Riverdale High. So, speak up if you thought of a possible suspect and why."

"I'll start!" Cheryl volunteered. "You know very well Penelope Blossom, my mom, almost killed us in the woods."

"That's right," Betty commented, "That lead to my dad's death who can also be a suspect if he weren't dead."

"Don't forget, Nick ," Toni suggested, "Who abused Cheryl and we pushed him away from Riverdale."

"Uh-huh," Cheryl agreed, "Lastly, my aunt and uncle who wanted to get the Maple Syrup business from me."

"Ok thank you for your suggestions, Cheryl," FP said, "Who wants to go next?"

"I will," Veronica said, "We all know the troubles we've gone though because of my dad. However, he's quite sick right now and he's been living peacefully away from us for many years. I don't think my dad and Archie has the same disagreement as last time. So, he can be a suspect, but I'm having only minor feeling he's the one. My second suspect will be my half-sister, Hermosa, who hates me and is a good spy. Lastly, Elio has been one of my rivalries when it comes to business."

People nodded in agreement. Archie raised his hand and said, "I'll go next. Me and Mad Dog had a problem with Dodger. Though I know it's been a while since we last heard of him, it's better to be open for possibilities."

FP agreed, "You're right about that, Archie. How about you, Jughead? Anyone in mind?"

"Well, Tall Boy used to have a grudge on me when I was still a Serpent. Then there's also Bret who faked my death."

"Ok. Good!" FP said, "Anyone else?"

"I do," Betty replied as she raised her hand, "Chic can be a dangerous person and I have no idea where he is now. Also, Polly is my sister but lately she's been acting strange after joining the farm. That leads me to my next suspect which is Evelyn Evernever."

"Boy, you guys had a lot of enemies," FP remarked.

"Don't include me. I did not say a name," Kevin said proudly and jokingly.

"Might as well ask Fang where he is after the two of you broke up two years ago," Cheryl told Kevin.

"Ok," FP said as to silence unnecessary arguments, "I think the list should be enough. We practically excluded everyone else in Riverdale except these names. In the meantime, it's hard to make exclude who among this list has the motive now to come back after many years."

"So, we're just going to wait for his next move?" Mad Dog asked.

"Looks like it," Reggie answered him. They all sighed knowing they're still far away from catching the culprit. Silence filled the air, when unexpectedly, a gunshot was heard above them.

"What was that?!" Toni nervously asked.

"I think something happened at Pops," FP told them, "You kids stay here while I go up."

"Me and Mad Dog will come with you Mr. Jones," Archie said but was too late for FP did not heard them anymore. Nevertheless, Archie and Mad Dog went up as well.

FP came to Pops, followed by Archie and Mad Dog behind him. They saw people panicking & going out of the restaurant. "What happened?" FP stopped Pops as he was trying to get out of his restaurant. "I don't know," Pops said, "We just heard a gunshot over there. We're running away before the killer goes back here in the restaurant."

"You mean here?" Mad Dog asked as he stood right in front of the toilet door.

"Yes, that's right! Now, if you excuse me," Pops said as he hurriedly went out.

The three men surrounded the door as FP held his gun aiming it towards the door. Mad Dog was assigned to open the door for them, while Archie was behind FP.

Mad Dog quickly opened the door as FP shouted, "Police here! Whoever you are, raise your hands or I'll shoot!"

"Wait," Archie said as they noticed no one was inside the toilet. Instead, they found a body lying in the middle of it. They went inside to inspect the body. The man was dead with at least three gunshots seen in his chest. His body covered by his own blood. Archie picked up the piece of paper in the victim's pocket. He opened it and read it out loud, "Your first clue starts now. For every clue given to you, a body is sacrificed whether acquaintance or not. Find me with lesser clues to have lesser sacrifices. You have 6 days left."

"A clue? Where?" Mad Dog asked.

"This one," FP said as he took the black mask away from the victim's head.

"Mr. Jones are you telling me the first clue is…" Archie was about to ask but seems unable to get his sentence complete.

"You're right, Archie," FP said, "The first clue is the Blackhood."


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected Returns

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Returns**

"Did we solve it?" Kevin asked, "Is the Blackhood really behind all of this?"

"I don't think so. That's impossible," Betty said as they gathered outside of Pops while the police were busy taking care of the crime scene.

"Yeah," Veronica supported her friend, "Blackhood was shot dead right in front of us."

"I'm not convinced it's the Blackhood," Jughead added, "It's too easy."

"It might be someone connected to the Blackhood," FP suggested.

"But who?" Archie asked.

Cheryl's eyes widened with a realization, "Could it be my mom Penelope?"

"Or probably Chic?" Betty added.

FP sighed at the possibilities as he believed they were still nowhere near solving the mystery. "I'll make an investigation on Penelope and Chic," he said, "In the meantime, go back home. We'll meet again if we find answers."

….

That night, Archie and Mad Dog did not go home but directly went to their local shelter. They were greeted by Mr. Bill who was waiting for them.

"What brings you here? It's getting cold," Mr. Bill said as he opened the door for the two men, "Come, I made you two some coffee."

"Me and Mad Dog just missed this place. We want to visit as often as possible," Archie explained.

"Yes, the kids would love that," Mr. Bill replied.

Archie was busy sipping his coffee, while Mad Dog was busy walking around the place with his coffee in hand. "How about you, Mr. Bill? Are you doing alright here? Do you have any concerns?" Archie asked.

Mr. Bill put down his coffee while he stared at it. Archie, noticing Mr. Bill's unusual behavior, asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Someone came this morning and reported something strange," Mr. Bill replied, as he looked at Archie who was confused. He continued, "He saw an unkempt and dirty kid at the Arcade center. Eventually, he caught him stealing money. He chased the kid but stopped when he saw a group of men surrounded the child. They kicked and punched him as the kid gave them the money he stole. Then the kid willingly rode on their motorcycles and left. He came here wondering if the kid lives here. I showed him all the kids, but he claimed no one looked like the kid he saw."

"Sounds like a mission to me," Mad Dog commented.

"Mad Dog's right," Archie agreed, "We need to find the kid before he gets hurt."

"Probably at the West Valley Street," Mr. Bill suggested.

"Why there?" Mad Dog asked.

"It's a talk here in town," Mr. Bill answered, "A group of men in motorcycles came to Riverdale a few weeks ago and was seen going in and out of the place."

"That's it," Archie said as he looked at Mad Dog, "We're going there!"

…

Veronica Lodge stood in front of the hospital room where her dad is currently confined. She took a sigh, then entered the room. "Good morning, Daddy-kins! I hope I'm not disturbing you right now," she greeted with her head up high.

"Veronica, we didn't know you're going to visit," Hermione said surprised.

Hiram smiled and told her, "It's nice to see you, Mija!"

"Are you really happy to see me?" Veronica asked, unconvinced by her father's statement.

"Well, of course! It's been a long time," he said, though unsure what Veronica is getting at.

"Oh!" she said sarcastically, "Because I thought your favorite daughter is Hermosa and I am nothing to you."

Hermione scolded her, "Veronica, stop this! You should let your father rest."

"Can you elaborate further?" he calmly asked.

"Hermosa told me everything," she answered, "You wrote your will and did not include me to any of your inheritance. What does that make me feel, Daddy? All this time, you're only treating Hermosa as your only daughter. I know I may not be the best daughter out there, but this shows that you despise me!"

"Yes, it's true," Hiram acknowledged, "You see, Hermosa—"

"Stop with that name!" Veronica cut him off, "Guess what? I don't need your money. I only wanted to be acknowledged as your daughter, but I guess the wind in New York is better compared here in Riverdale." As soon as she finished talking, she walked out then slammed the door.

…..

Betty Cooper finally came home after a long day with Jughead. She opened the door to her house, only to be greeted with an unexpected guest. A blonde girl was sitting on their couch. She smiled at Betty and said, "Hi, Betty! It's been a long time."

Betty was about to answer when Alice excitingly said, "Betty! You're finally home! I didn't want to text you. I want to make this a surprise. It's been a long time since we saw each other. Aren't you happy?"

"I am," Betty said, though her face says otherwise. She looked at the girl in front of her and asked, "What are you doing here, Polly?"

Polly smiled and said, "I miss you and mom."

"Oh, I'm so happy!" Alice said with excitement, "Why don't we all sit down while Polly tells us her story."

The three of them sat down in the living room. Alice sat beside Polly as she held her hand. Meanwhile, Betty sat in the couch in front of them.

"Where were you all this time?" Alice asked, "We couldn't contact you."

"I'm sorry if I was unable to come here right away," Polly answered, "The thing is I met a man from Tennessee. To make the long story short, we married and I gave birth to a son, as well. We named him Jason"

"That's wonderful!" Alice commented, "I hope to see Jason soon. How about the twins?"

"He's also taking care of them right now, and they're growing quite well. I asked him to hire a nanny while I'm away. I told him I'm going home because its been years since I last saw both of you."

"This is amazing!" Alice said happily, "Don't you think so, Betty?"

"Yeah," Betty said as she stared at Polly's eyes, quite unsure of the situation, "It's nice to have you back, Polly."

….

"Heard you went to the hospital?" Hermosa asked Veronica who was eating her dinner alone.

"So? What about it?" Veronica asked, refusing to make eye contact with Hermosa.

"At least you know now that I'm not making stories," Hermosa proudly told her.

"At least I know how fucked up this family is." Veronica said as she took a bite of her salad. "But don't worry about me," she continued, "I can live my life without Daddy's cash. So, go ahead and enjoy his wealth. It's bound to dry up anyway if not replenished."

Hermosa smirked as she said, "You think I'm stopping here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I still have plans for you. I want to prove Daddy that I'm also a capable Lodge." With that, Hermosa left, leaving Veronica confused.

…

"Maybe we're in the wrong place," Mad Dog suggested. It's been two hours since they waited at the place Mr. Bill suggested them. Although Mad Dog's getting impatient, Archie was determined to stay.

A few minutes later, they heard motorcycles approaching them. The two looked at their left and saw lights from at least five motorcycles. Archie and Mad Dog went to the middle of the road to stop the incoming group.

The men stopped their motorcycles, unable to pass the road due to Archie and Mad Dog.

"What ya doin' boys? Get out of the way!" a familiar voice ordered them.

"Look," Archie explained, "We know you have a kid with you, and you are not taking care him properly. Let's do this peacefully, shall we? Give us the kid and we'll let you go quietly."

The voice laughed and told Archie, "Do I look like a guy who you can order around?" The man stepped out of his motorcycle and was slowly approaching Archie and Mad Dog.

"Aaahhh I know you!" the man said as he took a closer look at the men in front of him. Archie and Mad Dog tried to figure out his identity; however the helmet was making it hard for them.

"Isn't this Archie? The guy who saves kids?" the man said as he laughed, "It's been a long time. I hope you're happy to see me." He then removed his helmet which surprised Archie and Mad Dog. No wonder the voice sounded familiar.

Archie took a step forward as he said to the man in front of him, "It's been a while, but I see you're still using kids for your own good, Dodger."

_Been quite busy lately so I apologize for posting only now. Thank you for Boris who gave some ideas for this story._


	4. Chapter 4: A True Lodge

**Chapter 4: A True Lodge**

Alice, Betty and Polly decided to shop that day. Alice suggested that they should bond while they can to make up for the time loss. They stopped at every shop they considered interesting as Alice and Polly seem to be really enjoying this bonding time. Meanwhile, Betty was reluctant to come and seems to be not enjoying it.

Alice, noticing Betty, decided that the two sisters should have a time together. She made an excuse to have her hair fixed, and that her daughters should wander around while they wait for her.

"Betty," Polly suggested, "I know a good store that sells pretty clothes."

The two went to the store as Polly excitedly browsed around the store. Betty just walked around, uninterested of the items in front of her. Polly paid her items as the two got out of the store.

"Nothing interests you there?" Polly asked, noticing Betty did not purchased any.

"I just don't feel like buying clothes right now," Betty explained.

"Betty," Polly confronted her, "I've been noticing that you are distant to me. Is there something wrong? Are you not happy to see me?"

Betty let out a heavy sigh and finally admitted, "Yes, Polly. I'm not happy. You know very well what happened to us last time. You convinced mom to join the Farm and who knows if you are still loyal to them. Even after Edgar died, you refused to see the truth."

Polly sternly told her, "Betty, I hope you stop the talking about the farm. It's in the past. I hope you give me a chance to become a part of you and mom once again."

"How could I?" Betty asked her, "When I don't even trust you."

….

"I didn't expect a call from you, Veronica," Reggie said as he stepped down the stairs leading to the speakeasy. "What's up?"

Veronica let out a sigh as she moved the chair near her, encouraging Reggie to sit. He sat beside her and asked once more, "What's wrong?"

"Didn't you notice something?" Veronica asked him. He looked around the place, observing what could possibly be wrong.

"I don't see anything new," he told her, "Except that we're the only ones here."

"Precisely," she told him, "I've been losing customers since yesterday and it's bothering me."

"Why? Any idea?"

"I talked to Pops. It seems that a new speakeasy opened nearby."

"A competitor, huh? Do you think they serve better drinks?"

"My rum is still considered one of the best rums out there. In all the countries we exported, our sales are still climbing up. Therefore, I don't think that people are getting tired of the rum."

"If not the rum, maybe the lack of entertainment?" Reggie suggested. Veronica did not answer, instead she let out again another sigh and said, "I don't know, Reggie. I just want my customers back."

"Let me guess. You called me here to help you?"

Veronica nodded and said, "Give me suggestions."

"First of all, who are we dealing with in the first place? Who decided to build a speakeasy near a speakeasy?" Reggie asked.

"I don't know. I – " Veronica stopped as she remembered the last conversation she had with Hermosa.

"Why? What's wrong?" Reggie asked.

"I think I know who owns the place," she told him.

….

A gun pointed at his head, while Archie tried to remain calm despite the situation. Who would have thought he'll be meeting Dodger again after all these years? By this time, other men came down from their motorcycles as they approach Archie.

"This is really a good time. You coming here to me is like destiny to have revenge," Dodger said. Archie, upon hearing the word 'revenge', remembered the recent events. "Are you the one responsible for the death during Cheryl and Toni's party?"

"Whose party again?" Dodger asked, "You're getting crazy, boy"

"How about the death at Pops?" Archie asked once more.

"Hey, kiddo," Dodger told him, "Crimes do happen and 99% of the time its not my fault. If you're trying to distract me, you're wrong. I can easily pull the trigger and shoot your head."

Archie stood still, unable to make his next move with the gun pointing at him. Seconds later, the sound of a motorcycle starting up distracted them. They turned behind to see the boy riding the motorcycle, ready to go away with it. With their attention turned, Archie and Mad Dog took the opportunity to attack Dodger and his gang. Archie successfully took the gun away from Dodger's hands and threw it far away. Meanwhile, Mad Dog was busy punching and avoiding punches by Dodger's men.

Dodger tried to attack Archie as the two got engaged in a fist fight. He was able to land a punch at Archie's face, while Archie successfully counterattacked him with a punch. Dodger landed on the ground as he took a knife in his pocket and tried to stabbed Archie with it. Thankfully, Archie was able to avoid. He landed a kick at Dodger's abdomen, which made Dodger fell on the ground. Dodger then grabbed Archie's right foot and pulled him which caused Archie to land on his back as well. He was about to hit Archie again with the knife but Archie successfully grabbed it as he stopped it from hitting him. Blood dribbled from Archie's hand as the edges of the knife cut him. Ignoring the pain, Archie used all his might to kick Dodger, which eventually caused him to fall and let go of the knife. He fell to the ground, but as he was about to get up, Archie pointed the knife back at him.

Meanwhile, Mad Dog was busy attacking the other men. He was successful in putting down two men. Now, he needs two more men to defeat. One man ran towards him, unsuccessfully landing a punch. Mad Dog was able to avoid the punch, but the man was successful enough to hold one of his arms. The other man, taking the opportunity, was about to punch Mad Dog when he felt a kick behind him. He turned to see the little kid behind. He was about to chase the kid, but the pain of the kick on his back prevented him from doing so. This gave Mad Dog the opportunity to focus on the last guy standing as he punched the guy with his other hand.

With all men down, Archie threatened Dodger, "If you come back and use kids again for your own agenda, expect me to come and punch you again."

Mad Dog took the kid with him, as Archie joined them. Dodger and his entire group were left and entirely defeated.

While on their way to the shelter, Mad Dog asked the kid, "What's your name?"

"Chris. Short for Christoper," the kid replied.

Mad Dog introduced himself, "You can call me Mad Dog and this other guy is Archie. Thanks for helping me out there a while ago."

"No," Chris said, "I should be the one thanking you. They do not treat me well. I've been starving for days, not to mention getting punched and kicked at. I saw you guys trying to help me and I thought it was a nice opportunity to escape from them."

"Well," Archie replied, "You're going to be in good hands. A lot of kids are in the shelter, and they are ready to be your friends. I'll endorse you to the caretaker, Mr. Bill, and we'll interview you tomorrow after you get some rest."

…..

"What if I just close the speakeasy?" Veronica asked Reggie. They've been discussing for hours on what they could do to save the business, but their ideas were not good enough.

"Come on, Veronica. You worked hard for years. You can't just give up right now."

"It's just that I'm running out of ideas," Veronica explained to him as a moment of silence filled the room once again.

Footsteps were heard coming down to the speakeasy as both turned their heads to see if a customer arrived. Disappointment came to Veronica as she saw Hiram was the one coming to them.

"Are you here as a customer?" she asked him.

"I am but I see there's no one else."

"Are you happy seeing my speakeasy going down?"

"Of course not, Mija. I hope you don't misunderstand me."

"If you're here as a customer, what can I serve you then?"

"Your maple syrup rum please."

Veronica stood up and went behind the bar to prepare her dad some drink. She gave him the drink as Hiram said his thanks. "What happened here?" he asked as soon as Veronica sat down in front of him.

"You don't know?" Veronica asked back, quite surprised her father had no idea. Seeing her father's clueless face, she continued, "Your favorite daughter, aka Hermosa, built another speakeasy near mine. I heard the drinks there were pretty good and addictive. People are just so happy to be in that place."

"I see," he said, "What are you planning to do?"

"I don't know," Veronica told him, "Maybe close this speakeasy and just find another business to do here."

"That was unexpected," he told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Being your business rival for years, I know that you always have something up your sleeves to make me go down. It's rather unexpected to see you give up."

Veronica let out a sigh and told her dad, "You're right. I'm not the type who easily gives up. If you were in my place, daddy, what will you do?"

"Glad you considered asking an advice from an expert," Hiram said proudly, "You see when I have business rivals, I study their strategy or formula. Once you learn of their secret, you have to do something to make yourself better."

Veronica stared at her father in awe, while her head was busy making an idea. "Dad, you're right," Veronica told him, "I should find out what's Hermosa's secret." She turned her head towards Reggie and told him, "Reggie! I have a plan!"

"Goodluck, Mija!" Hiram said as he finished drinking his rum. He stood up and was about to leave. He turned once more to his daughter and told her, "By the way, that's the Veronica Lodge I know."

…..

Cheryl, Toni and Kevin decided to visit Riverdale High. The three decided they wanted to feel nostalgic as they walk around the corridors of their alma mater.

"This is where everything started," Kevin said as he stared at the building in front of him.

Cheryl teased him, "Glad you don't feel heartbroken seeing the place where you and Fangs dated many times."

"Can you stop with the Fangs comments?" Kevin annoyingly said.

"Let's go inside," Toni suggested, cutting off Kevin and Cheryl's conversation. They walked around the school revisiting the places they used to hang out. They would laugh occasionally as they tell each other stories of their memories.

"Oh my gosh, Toni!" Cheryl excitingly said while looking out of the window, "They're going to perform a cheerleading dance. Let's watch!"

The three joined the crowd to watch the performances. "Ugh! I remember the old times. I miss my cheerleading squad," Cheryl said.

"Are you Cheryl Blossom?" a voice behind them asked.

Cheryl smiled and said "Of course. There is no one else who can be as good as Cheryl Blossom. Now, how can I help you, kid?"

The high school girl handed her a letter. "Someone wants me to give this to you." Cheryl took the paper from the girl. "Thank you," she said as the girl left them. She unfolded the paper and read it. It was telling her to come to the previous Blue & Gold room. The three looked at each other, unsure of the situation.

"Should we go?" Kevin asked.

"If this is a clue, we should go," Toni said.

The three of them nervously went to the said room. No one spoke a word until they came right in front of the door. They knocked, but no one answered. "I feel like this scenario is familiar," Cheryl commented.

"Hello!" Kevin shouted at the door, "We're coming in, ok?"

Kevin turned the knob, and Cheryl let out a scream. They were surprised to see a dead body inside the room. "What the fuck?!" Cheryl shouted. Toni tried to remain calm and went over to inspect the body. Again, a letter was found in one of the pockets of the victim. She read it out loud, "Your second clue is here. Your time is running out. Or should I kill another one for you?"

"This is insane!" Kevin said, "I don't understand. What's the clue?"

Toni investigated the body in front of her, as well as her surroundings, but found nothing unusual. "I don't know," she said, "There's nothing here."

"Shit!" Kevin said as the three of them looked at each other in fear.


	5. Chapter 5: It All Points to One

**Chapter 5: It All Points to One**

They gathered privately once again at the speakeasy. Cheryl, Toni and Kevin told them of their strange encounters at Riverdale High.

"Are you sure there's no clue at the scene?" Reggie asked.

"We tried," Kevin replied, "But we can't figure out anything."

"Maybe you didn't look closer or you missed something," Reggie said.

Cheryl held her phone and showed a picture of the crime scene. "See for yourself then," she told him. He looked at the picture and couldn't find anything as well.

"This is insane," Veronica said with frustration as she let out a heavy sigh, "We're stuck. We couldn't figure out what's the clue. And then what? Do we have to wait for another person to die to get another freakin' clue?"

"I can't believe we're at a dead-end," FP told them, "Maybe I'll ask the police investigators whether or not they were able to take fingerprints at the crime scenes. Unfortunately, waiting for a result of the matching can take long and surely pass the deadline."

"We need to think hard," Betty suggested, "We can't let go of this clue."

"What if…" Jughead suggested as he was in deep thought of an idea, "The victims themselves are the clues."

"You may have a point there," Archie agreed. FP suddenly took out his notebook as he looked for the names of the victims. Finally, he saw the page and he said, "The first victim is Nancy Hudson who died at the Blossom Residence. Second victim is Joshua Hay who died at Pops. Lastly, Sherwin Klint at the Riverdale High. We need to investigate the three of them if Jughead is right."

Archie then suggested, "Let's split ourselves to teams so we can work faster."

"Agree," Jughead said.

"Ok," FP told them, "Just be careful, alright? I'll assign the teams. For Nancy Hudson, I want Cheryl, Toni and Kevin to investigate. Archie, Veronica and Mad Dog, you guys will investigate Joshua Hay. Lastly, Betty, Jughead and Reggie, dig up information regarding Sherwin Klint. Meanwhile, I'll coordinate with the police regarding the investigation. Tomorrow we'll meet again here, same time."

All of them nodded their heads, hopeful that they're right.

…

The following morning, Cheryl, Toni and Kevin head out to the house of their maid Nancy. They knocked and waited for a minute before the door opened. An old lady greeted and stared at them, surprised at the sudden visit.

Toni asked, "Is this the house of Nancy Hudson?"

"Yes, it is. How can I help you?" the old lady asked.

"Hi!," Cheryl introduced herself, "I'm Cheryl Blossom and these are my friends Toni and Kevin. Nancy, uhmm.. used to worked at my house, the Blossom residence."

"Oh!" the old lady said, "What brings you here?"

Toni replied, "We're hoping to ask some questions regarding Nancy. We're trying to figure out who killed her," The old lady opened the door and gestured them to come in. The three smiled at the old lady as they entered the house. "Please, do take a sit," the old lady offered, "Do you want some water or coffee?"

Cheryl smiled at her and said, "It's ok. We're fine." The old lady then sat down in the couch in front of them and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to introduce myself a while ago. My name is Catherine, and I'm Nancy's sister."

"Nice meeting you, Ms. Catherine!" Kevin told her.

"We're sorry for disturbing you. I also know that this might be a sensitive topic for you since she just recently died, but we really need to investigate it right now," Toni apologetically said.

The old lady sat back and told them, "I understand and thank you for worrying about my sister. You see we grew up together. We never married and only had each other, so losing her was really hard for me."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Cheryl said, quite guilty of the fact that they might provoke the old lady to remember memories that will hurt her. Catherine took a deep breath before finally asking them, "So what do you want to know about my sister?"

"We… actually don't know where to start," Kevin said, feeling lost, "How about if you noticed anything suspicious about your sister?" Catherine thought hard of the question and said, "There was… You see, this is her second time to work at the Blossom Residence. Her first time was 10 years ago. Oh Cheryl, you were still a kid back then. She somehow got attached to the twins, but she also told me she wasn't in good terms with Penelope. Let's just say Nancy was hard-headed. She doesn't wasn't to listen to Penelope most of the time. Eventually, Penelope fired her. She came back here and told me she was unemployed. She went out searching for jobs, but due to her age, choices were limited. One day, she came home and told me she found a job. I was excited for her and asked her about her job. She didn't want to tell me, claiming her job is top secret. She guaranteed me, however, that its not something illegal. I was stupid at that time to believe her, I thought she became a spy or something. But as days passed, I noticed she was going out but wasn't bringing home any money. I told her I couldn't handle all the bills alone and we fought that day. She packed her things and never returned for a year. I reported her missing to the police, and they couldn't find her as well. I investigated her room and the things she left and noticed something weird. There was a paper with a drawing of a crescent moon imposed inside a circle, titled as 'The Farm.' I -"

"Wait, What?!" Cheryl interrupted her, "Did you just say, 'The Farm'?"

"Yes," Catherine said, surprised that Cheryl knew of the Farm.

Kevin then said, "Then it means she was a member of the Farm. The crescent moon is the symbol of the Farm."

"No wonder," Toni added, "When Nancy came to our house, she somewhat looked familiar."

"This is strange," Cheryl said completely shocked at the revelation. "Anyways," she ordered Catherine, "You may continue."

Catherine nodded her head as she continued the story, "One day, someone came knocking at my house in the middle of the night. I came to see who that might be, and to my surprise, it was Nancy. I was surprised and I hugged her. I asked her where she was the whole time and she couldn't tell me once again. She just told me that she shouldn't had left me. I felt that she was sorry for what she had done and then she decided to look for a job. That's when she came back to you, Cheryl, when she heard you were looking for a maid. She was slowly healing for all the years she was with you and I was happy for her. But one night, the phone rang, and she answered it. I heard her screaming at the phone as she said, 'No! Never in a million years I'll be going back to you! I believed you but you were all evil. I felt so guilty taking it from them all this time.' She put down the phone and I asked her who it was, but she wouldn't tell me. Her healing stalled and she became bothered lately. 'They want me back. They're looking for me,' she kept on telling me. But when I ask her questions, she wouldn't answer. After a week of acting strange, she died." As soon as Catherine finished her story, she started to cry as Toni and Cheryl comforted her. They apologized to her again as they said their thanks and goodbyes.

Once outside the house, the three discussed the revelations they heard. "The Farm…." Toni said, lost in deep thoughts. "This is big," Kevin told them, "We're finally getting into something."

…

Alice was disappointed noticing that her daughters are still not talking to each other. She suggested that they all go and eat at a restaurant. However, Betty refused and told them she doesn't feel well and wants to stay at home. They eventually decided that Betty will stay, while Polly and Alice will have a bonding time together at a well-known restaurant.

"You take care, Betty" Alice told her as they were going out of the house. "Call us if you need anything." Betty simply nodded and they closed the door, leaving her behind.

"Something seems really weird about Polly", Betty told herself. "Is it just a coincidence that she's here? If she really missed us all these years, why not call us? Better yet, show up earlier."

Sensing that something was not right, she went up to Polly's room to investigate. She looked around hoping to find a clue or anything suspicious. She opened the drawers, opened Polly's bags and looked under the cabinets and bed. She saw a box underneath the bed and opened it. Inside it were documents, pictures and items from her time at the Farm. "Why is she keeping this?" Betty asked herself. She returned the item and the box underneath the bed before continuing her search. She went inside Polly's bathroom and opened a drawer. Inside it, she found a paper of The Farm and its logo, besides it was a picture of Betty and Polly. Strangely, Betty's face was erased by a marker. She was puzzled by what she found, so she took the picture, closed the drawer and went back to her own room.

As soon as she got inside her room, she dialed Jughead's number. The phone rang for half a minute before a voice on the other line said, "Hello, Betty?"

"Jughead!" Betty said as soon as she heard his voice, "Mom and Polly went out, so I sneaked into Polly's room and found something really weird. I saw a box of her items during the Farm as if she was treasuring it. And you know what's weirder? I saw a picture of both me and Polly with a logo of the Farm. My face erased by a marker."

"I thought the Farm was over after Edgar's death?" Jughead asked.

"I know, Jug," Betty said, "I know it's too early to conclude but I still don't trust Polly."

"Ms. Detective," Jughead said quite seductively, "Do you want to go on a mission date with me?"

"What do you mean?" Betty asked.

"We're going to stalk Polly," he told her, "You must know when she is going out alone. We need to see where she goes and what she is doing."

"You're right, Jug. I'll keep you updated."

….

"Does Archie know about this?" Reggie nervously asked.

"Of course, he does," Veronica assured him, "Besides, even if he doesn't know, what's wrong about it? It's not like we're really dating. We're just here as undercovers."

"Ok," he said as he looked at the building in front of him. It was said that the new speakeasy is hidden inside it, and the two plans to know the secrets of Hermosa by disguising themselves. They entered the building and found their way to the speakeasy. They entered and were quite unimpressed with what they saw.

"I see nothing special here," Reggie commented.

"Entertainment is boring as well," Veronica said as the two settled down in one of the tables. They observed the customers as they noticed they were unusually loud. A waiter approached them and asked them their orders. "We'll have your bestselling drink," Veronica said. Once the waiter left, she told Reggie of her plan, "It's hard to go behind the bar, someone is always there. I decided I'll spy the storage room. You see that door over there? I believe that's the storage room. I saw someone pulled out ingredients from there. Reggie, you stay here while I go there. Notify me when you see someone coming in. Better yet, distract that someone if you can."

"Ok," Reggie said, "Goodluck!"

Veronica stood up as she made her way towards the door of the storage room. She made sure no one else was looking before entering. Meanwhile, the waiter came to the table to serve the drinks they ordered. Reggie said thanks as his eyes never left the storage room door. He took his glass and sipped a little, all the time still watching it.

Finally, Veronica successfully entered the storage room. She opened the lights and saw the rums, wines, alcohols, utensils and other ordinary stuffs. She opened every suspicious container she sees, but nothing out of the ordinary. She was about to give up when she saw pile of boxes in the corner. She investigates the boxes as she found white powdery substances. She took a sniff and read the label. Realizing what she found, she was shocked to learn of Hermosa's secret "Oh my gosh!" she told herself, "They're putting drugs on their drinks! No wonder people kept coming back because of the addiction." She immediately returned the drugs back inside the boxes, but she took a sample and hid it inside her pocket. Suddenly, the door opened behind her.

"Hey!" a man shouted. She turned her back to see guy staring at her. "Damn, Reggie. He's not doing his job!" she complained to herself. She gulped as she slowly faced the guy in front of her. "Hi!" she said with a smile, trying to keep it simple as she continued, "I was looking for the bathroom. They told me it was somewhere here." The guy continued to stare at her, not believing her. She sensed it as she continued, "I was surprised as well. I don't think the bathroom's here, but I tried anyway just in case. I'm sorry I didn't mean any harm. I'll be going out."

She made her way to the door, all the time smiling at the guy hoping he won't notice anything suspicious. She closed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief. Her nervousness was gone, but this was replaced by anger towards Reggie. She went to their table and saw Reggie already high, "Hey, Veronica!" he said as he laughed out loud for no reason.

"Reggie!" she scolded him, "I told you to guard the door, I almost got caught!"

"You what?" he asked back, unable to comprehend what she said.

"Idiot, you're high!" she told him as he dragged him towards the exit. They were about to leave the place, when she caught a glimpse of a girl who passed them by. She stopped midway with disbelief at what she saw. She turned her head behind her, only to lose the girl in the crowd. "Was that… Evelyn Evernever?" she asked herself.

…

Archie and Mad Dog went back to the shelter the following day after they saved Christopher. Together with Mr. Bill, they interviewed the kid to know of his background.

"How are you?" Archie asked Chris.

"Better," he replied, "I made some friends today."

"That's great!" Archie smiled, feeling proud, then he continued, "So we're here to talk about you and to get to know more about you. Can you tell us where you came from and how you got involved with Dodger and his gang?"

The kid nodded but stared at the table blankly. They patiently waited for him to talk. Once he got more comfortable, he started talking. "I was born in a poor family," he said, "My parents were in debt big time. Without a job, they don't know how to pay. They eventually decided to give up, so my mother mixed poison in our food one day. They both knew, but I didn't. At that time, I pretended I drank it. But honestly, the smell puts me off. I wondered at that time why was my mom hugging me the whole time after dinner as she slowly drifts in sleep. I waited for them to wake up, but they never did. Realizing they were dead, I left the house as I don't want my relatives taking care of me. After two days, I met a girl who offered me food and shelter as long as I do errands for her."

"What kind of errands?" Mad Dog interrupted.

"Well, more of a household errands," he replied.

"Why a kid? Why not someone old enough to be hired?" Archie asked.

"Being a kid, I was naïve to the fact that something strange was happening," he answered Archie, "For the longest time I thought everything was ok until I went to a forbidden room. She got mad at me and threatened to kill me."

"What did you see inside?" Mr. Bill asked.

"Preserved organs," the kid replied, "I was so scared, I begged her that I would not say anything. She didn't forgive me, and I knew she was going to kill me. So, I ran away, and for days I lived in the street. Then Dodger and his gang came up and adopted me. I was with them for years. It was hard but I had to do it to hide. For years, I had not heard any news from her. But recently, I heard rumors that she's back and trying to reform her cult."

Puzzled, Archie asked him, "This sounds familiar. Do you know the name of the girl who adopted you?"

"Yes," Chris replied, "Her name's Evelyn Evernever."


	6. Chapter 6: Caught

_So I just watched the latest episode of Riverdale and saw that the Lodges has a scene of the will as well. Honestly, I didn't expect that and I was worried that this story will not be compatible with the happenings in the series. Neverthless, just pretend that didn't happen when you read my fanfic. _

**Chapter 6: Caught**

Reggie woke up feeling light-headed. He noticed he was in a back of a car. His vision was yet to return completely, but he can see two people on the front seat staring at him. When his full vision finally returned, he realized that the two people staring at him were Betty and Jughead.

"Are you okay now?" Betty asked, concerned.

"Where am I? The last thing I remembered I was with Veronica," Reggie groggily said.

"You don't remember how high you were, and that Veronica has to drag you away and call us for help?" Jughead asked. He looked at Jughead completely clueless what he was talking about.

Jughead, noticing his look said, "Guess that's a no," He started the car and started to brief him of where they were going, "Anyways, you're here with me and Betty right now because we have to do our investigation of Sherwin Klint. According to sources, Sherwin is a single mom who's currently living alone since her only daughter married a Japanese and thus, lives in Japan. Me and Betty have interviewed some of her friends and it turns out they know nothing suspicious of her. Our last chance is to find a clue inside her house."

"Oh," was the only thing Reggie said as he tried to clear his head of the dizziness and light-headedness that he felt. It wasn't long when they arrived at the victim's house. The lights were off, and the surroundings were silent.

Once they came in front of the door, Betty took her hairpin as she successfully opened the doorknob. They entered the house as they investigated each corner of it. An hour has passed, but it seems they have not noticed anything suspicious at all. It wasn't until Jughead noticed a diary hidden inside one of the cabinets in the room, that they all gathered around him to read of what happened. He browsed the diary, skipping the pages that were not relevant. However, a certain page caught their attention when the saw the name of Polly.

"Polly?" Betty asked, surprised that she was able to come across her sister's name. Jughead then started to read the diary out loud, "Today is March 13 and I got a surprise call from my childhood friend, Polly. We never talked ever since she ran away with her lover and had kids. So, it was surprising to me when I got her call. She was crying over saying she just got released and she doesn't want to come home yet. She's wondering if she can stay with me for a while and I said yes. She came in later with her bag full of clothes and I let her stay inside." They continued reading the diary and found out for the following days that Polly met her lover and dated. However, Sherwin also noticed something strange with Polly. Upon her own investigation and observation, she found out that Polly was in a cult comprising of at least 30 members. She confronted Polly about it, but she just denied everything. Sherwin then threatened Polly that she will tell Alice and that she should go home in Riverdale. The following day, Polly left the house, never to be seen again. The following days, her name wasn't mentioned anymore.

Jughead closed the book once he finished the last sentence of Polly's disappearance. "We got what we need," he said as he took the diary and the three headed out of the house.

….

"Damn Reggie!" Veronica complained, "He couldn't even do his job properly and I had to drag his heavy body out."

Archie just laughed, remembering the situation they encountered a while ago with Reggie. Mad Dog also smiled, trying to hold in his laughter.

"You guys found it funny, right?" she said, noticing their reactions. "I'm sorry," Archie said trying to comfort his girlfriend but couldn't contain his laughter, "It's just funny when you think about it." She just rolled her eyes as a smile slowly crept on her face, realizing it was indeed funny.

The three of them were going to a Mental Hospital to investigate Joshua Hay. His mother advised them to do the interview with her at the said hospital. When they finally arrived, they greeted Mrs. Hay, Joshua's mom, and Doctor Kate, Joshua's attending psychiatrist.

"I told you guys to meet me here instead," Mrs. Hay explained, "Joshua has been staying here most of the time ever since 4 years ago, so I think Doctor Kate here would have the answers than me."

"We understand," Veronica told her, "Thank you for helping us."

Mrs. Hay nodded as she told them, "You see, Joshua was a sweet boy when he was a kid. Although, he used to be bullied, he was bright and determined when he was with me and our family. However, 4 years ago, he acted strange. He would see and talk to something that we couldn't. That's why we decided to let him stay here."

Archie was curious and asked, "Do you have any idea what he sees and hear?"

Doctor Kate was the one who replied to Archie, "He says that he is saved by the gods because he offered many human organs. In fact, he always claimed himself to be god. Every time I talked to him, he would always say that I should look up to him. However, a visitor came one day, and I noticed him change after that. From someone who was always happy and proud, he started to become angry and depressed. He would scream suddenly saying, 'I am now the leader! The gods know me than you. You can't take it away from me.' He was like that before he escaped here and was found dead later."

"Do you have any idea who visited him?" Mad Dog asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't," Doctor Kate said, "I remembered we look it up to in our logbook but I forgot the name. We tried contacting her, but we couldn't."

"Is it safe to assume its someone from The Farm?" Veronica asked as she looked at the guys looking for confirmation.

"Yes," Archie told her, "It may not be a strong evidence but at least we have something."

….

As planned, they gathered once more in private at Veronica's speakeasy. They shared to everyone the different findings and revelations of each victim. It was becoming clearer that the suspect is someone from The Farm, more specifically Evelyn Evernever.

"The chances are high that she's the culprit," Toni said, as she believed they have finally solved the mystery.

"I don't think we should celebrate though," Veronica said, still worried, "If she is behind this, that's great, at least we're unto something. The problem is- where do we find her?"

"Oh gosh!" Kevin complained, "This guessing game isn't over and my brain's already hurting."

Most of them took a deep sigh as silence overcame them. Finally, Betty broke up the silence by saying, "Wait, I just remembered. If Polly is into this, then maybe I can use Polly to lure us to their hideaway."

"You're right," Jughead supported her, "We were actually planning of stalking Polly anyway. I think it's a good idea." Everyone then agreed.

"Tomorrow…" Betty said, "She said she's going to do errands tomorrow, that's when me and Jughead will follow her."

…..

"Mom, I'll be going out for a while. I'll be back before dinner!" Polly shouted, hoping Alice would hear her from the kitchen. "Yes, dear! You take care," Alice shouted back. She wore her shoes, took her bag and headed out of the house. She looked around her before deciding to walk, heading out East.

What she didn't know was that Jughead and Betty were hiding and watching her from behind a tree. Once Polly was out of suspicion of her surroundings, they took their helmets and rode the motorcycle. From afar, they watched her hail a taxi at the corner of the street. When the taxi took off, so was Jughead's motorcycle.

They followed the taxi, making sure they were still distant as not to raise suspicion. Finally, the taxi stopped, and Polly came out.

"This place…" Betty told Jughead, "I remember this… This one is near the Sisters of Quiet Mercy."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Betty confirmed, "Yes!"

He parked the motorcycle somewhere near as they got off and continued to follow Polly. True enough, she led them to the building where the Sisters of Quiet Mercy used to be. "They were here all this time?" Jughead asked.

"I thought the property now belongs to Veronica's dad?" Betty asked, also confused. "But I think Polly knows this place as well. My parents took her here."

They observed from afar for a few more minutes. They saw Polly, as well as other people, going in and out of the said place. Then, they started to gather outside as they formed a circle and started chanting.

"This is weird," Betty said, "I got to confirm this to Veronica." She took her phone and dialed Veronica's number.

"Hello?" Veronica asked from the other line.

"It's me, Betty. I just want to know if your dad really bought the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, or did he sell it?"

"He bought it, Betty. It was supposed to be for his prison project that didn't materialize. So, the property was left untouched and abandoned, though it is still named after him."

"Are you sure, V? Because we're seeing people here."

"In the Sisters of Quiet Mercy?"

"Yes!"

"That's odd! There shouldn't be people there."

"There is, and they seem to be a cult performing a ritual."

"Do you think it's the farm?"

"Polly's here but I haven't seen Evelyn yet. Still, I do believe this is the farm."

"That's good! At least we know now where they're hiding."

"I think you should all go—" Betty said as she was suddenly cut off by the presence of a group of people who surrounded the two, knives pointing at them. Her phone fell from her grasp, as she and Jughead slowly raised their hands as a sign of surrender.

Meanwhile, Veronica, who was on the other line, noticed something unusual... "Betty?! Betty?!" she called out from the other line but received no response.


	7. Chapter 7: To The Rescue

**Chapter 7: To The Rescue**

"Betty?! Betty?!" Veronica panicked but received no response. She tried calling Betty numerous times, but no one was picking up. That day, while Betty & Jughead went out to stalk Polly, the rest of them met at Pops waiting for updates from the two.

"What happened?" Cheryl asked, sensing there's something wrong. Veronica put downs her phone and told them, "Jughead & Betty followed Polly until she led them to building of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. It was supposed to be abandoned for my father already bought that property for his prison project. But because it did not materialize and daddy has a lot of things going on, it was left abandoned for some time already. According to Betty, they saw a group of people hanging out there. They seem like a cult. However, Betty suddenly stopped speaking as I heard other voices on the other line. I tried contacting her back, but to no avail."

"They were caught," Mad Dog said, "We need to hurry. Those people there can kill without hesitation."

"Mad Dog's right," Archie agreed, "We need to tell Mr. Jones of what happened and from there we'll plan a strategy to save them."

All of them hurriedly went out of Pops. On the way, Archie called FP regarding the situation and the two agreed to meet at Archie's local shelter, which is halfway through Pops and the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

…..

Jughead and Betty were led inside the building of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, all the while the people still surrounded them with knives pointing at them. They took them to a room, sat them on chairs, and bounded both of their wrists together, so the two were facing each other's back. They left them there and locked the door.

"This is bad," Betty told Jughead, "We don't even know if help's coming."

"Stay calm, Betty," he assured her, "We'll find a way out of this."

Moments later, the door opened. Two women came in the room to greet their visitors.

"Evelyn? Polly?" Betty asked.

"Yes, my dear sister," Polly told her, "It's me and Evelyn."

"You got to help us. Get us out of here," Betty demanded her sister.

"Sorry, but I can't, Betty… I knew you guys were going to follow me, so I intentionally brought the two of you here."

"How did you know?" Jughead asked.

"Knowing that my sister doesn't trust me and is suspicious of me, I knew I can't hide that much longer. Also, I know how she loves to play Miss Detective and overheard her talking to the phone of stalking me. So, I made an announcement that I'll be going somewhere today to lure her," Polly said with a smile on her face, proud of her successful plan.

"I don't understand what's happening," Betty told her, "Why are you doing this? Were you the ones behind the murders that started at the Blossom residence?"

"Yes," Evelyn proudly replied, "Did you guessed our clues? We just killed people who hated us or knew of our cult existence."

"That's insane," Betty told her, and turned her head to Polly as she said, "Polly, I know you don't have the heart to do those things. Let's talk about it and I promise you I'll help you with whatever things you're going through."

Polly replied, "Sadly, Betty, I do have the heart to do those things. A sacrifice is needed for our salvation. I'm very glad that Evelyn showed me this path and I felt like a hero leading other people as well."

Frustration and disappointment came over Betty when she heard her sister. She tried to convince her sister, "This is not even a religion, Polly! You're being lied about it. This is an organization that attracts people and promises salvation, when in fact, you're just getting people to give their organs. Then Evelyn will just sell them for money!"

Polly laughed as she said, "That's my Betty! Ever since, you only saw this group as a fraud, and I can't count how many times you tried to destroy us. I feel so sorry for you, Betty. You won't ever be saved after death. I hope you know that we must give a part of ourselves, which is our organs, to be promised salvation. And just so you know, you won't ever convince me to turn away from this group. I will follow Evelyn until death." With that, Polly turned away and walked out of the door.

Betty was speechless from what she heard. Meanwhile, Evelyn followed Polly out of the room, but she turned back to Betty and told her, "By the way, I won't be leading the Farm. After Edgard's death, I decided to step down and choose Polly as the new successor of the Farm."

Once more, the door was closed and locked, leaving the two lovers alone.

….

They disembarked from the car and entered the shelter where they saw FP and Alice nervously waiting for them.

"Good thing you guys came in fast," FP said, "I was supposed to call for police reinforcements, but I realized if they saw the police, they might kill the hostages. Let's do this on our own for a while, and when we handled things that's when we call the police. We need to be careful as much as possible. We sneak in and our priority is to check the safety of Betty and Jughead."

"As for our plan," he continued, "Do you remember the secret passage going there? Half of you will enter, while the other half guard the entrance. We need a sure exit way. In the meantime, grab some stuff that you can use to guard yourselves." He handed them items like pocketknives and pepper spray.

While the youth were busy taking and preparing their stuffs, Alice confided to FP, "Maybe if me and Hal hadn't been strict to Polly, then she wouldn't turn out this way." FP put an arm around Alice to comfort her, and said, "Don't be too harsh on yourself. It's not your fault. You only did what you can for her best. As of now, we'll do the best that we can and hopefully make things right."

Alice slightly nodded her head in agreement and said, "Okay…. Let's do this."

As soon as Alice felt a little better, FP took out his phone and dialed a number. A voice can be heard from the other line, "Hello?" FP smiled, as he was glad to hear that voice once more. He said, "Hey, Sweet Pea! I need some help here. Mind if the Serpents help?"

Toni, upon hearing the name of Sweet Pea, turned around. She was excited to meet the Serpents once again. When FP put down his phone, she said, "Are the Serpents coming? How's Sweet Pea and the others doing?"

"Yes, they're coming, he replied, "They've been doing great for the past years. Since Jughead has been busy with college, Sweet Pea took over. I tell you, he's doing a great job."

"That's nice!" she said as she was glad to hear that the serpents were doing fine.

"Ok, it's time to go," Archie interrupted, "Today is the 6th day. If we don't solve everything today, we don't know what will happen to all of us tomorrow."

Cheryl, determined to end the game, told everyone, "We're going to solve this game. Tomorrow, me and Toni will make our vows and there's no way I will allow someone else to ruin it."

They all headed out, determined to end it once and for all. However, as soon as they got out, trouble was in front of them. They stopped as a group of men stood in front of them.

"Dodger?" Archie asked, surprised at the sudden visit.

"Where you goin' boy?" Dodger asked, "Don't you know it's payback time?"

"Dodger, this isn't the right time. We got something else to do!" Archie demanded.

"That's funny!" Dodger laughed, "Then go ahead and do your thing, while we do our own thing of destroying the shelter."

"Don't ever touch the shelter!" Mad Dog said, furious at what he heard.

Cheryl, frustrated at what's happening, said, "Who are these people? We don't have much time!"

"Kids!" FP shouted to get everyone's attention, "Go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll take care of Dodger and his gang."

Archie was quite worried at the suggestion, "Mr. Jones, are you sure? You might be outnumbered."

"I'll go with him," Mad Dog volunteered, "You guys go ahead and save Jughead and Betty."

They all agreed as everyone went to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, while FP and Mad Dog were left behind to deal with Dodger and his gang.

…..

"Bear with me, Betty, this is the last one," Jughead said as he tried to cut the ropes that tied up Betty's legs in the chair. Earlier, Jughead was able to hold the swiss knife he was hiding in his jacket's sleeves. He was able to cut the ropes that bind their wrists, then the ropes on his legs. He was now on the final step, which is to cut Betty's ropes.

"There!" he said as he successfully did it.

The two headed out the door, but it was locked. She took her hairpin out and used it as she successfully opened the door. They peeked at the hallway, noticing no one was around. They slowly got out of the room and turned left, based on their memories of how they got there. They were about to turn right to another hallway, when they noticed incoming people. They hid behind a wall, as the group of people passed by them. Once cleared, they got out and headed right.

"There it is, Jug!" Betty said, "That's the door out!" She pointed at the door ahead of them as the two hurriedly walked towards it. However, when they are about to come near the door, a certain man blocked their path and prevented them from going out.

The two stopped and Betty gasped at the man before them. "Charles?!" she asked.

"Hi, Betty!" Charles greeted her calmly, "It's been a while."


End file.
